


Not Another Cat

by Ariel_Lazarus



Series: Ace and Cats [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Canon Universe, Cats, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:33:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26271190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ariel_Lazarus/pseuds/Ariel_Lazarus
Summary: Oh no, not again. This better not become a thing with him. It's starting to get ridiculous. They're pirates, and this is a pirate ship, not a cat kennel!
Relationships: Masked Deuce & Portgas D. Ace
Series: Ace and Cats [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1908709
Comments: 18
Kudos: 70





	Not Another Cat

**Author's Note:**

> So I decided to make this a series! Idk when I'll write more for it, but I have a few ideas for some future fics, so we'll see! Hope you enjoy!

Oh no, not again. This better not become a thing with him. It's starting to get ridiculous. They're pirates, and this is a pirate ship, not a cat kennel!

"Is that a new cat?"

Ace looks up at Deuce standing over him, radiating disapproval, before answering. "His name is Meat!"

The cat in question, an orange tabby and clearly not one of the ones Ace brought on board before, is laying on Ace's stomach as the man lounges on the deck.

"That wasn't what I asked, and you know it." Deuce sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Ace, we already have way too many cats, you can't bring  _ more _ onto the ship! Besides we already told you before, you can't name a cat  _ Meat _ !"

"I didn't bring him onto the ship, he followed me just like the others did!" Ace says, pouting. "And Meat is a great name for a cat! Cats love meat! I don't know why you guys don't like it as a name.  _ He _ does! Right, Meat?"

The cat looks up at him and meows. Figures. Damn cat. Ace excitedly yells, "See? He answers to it!" The cat starts purring loudly as he pets it, and settles back down to sleep on him.

"He probably just thinks you're talking about food when you say it," says Deuce, getting exasperated. "That's really not the most important thing here anyway. You can't just keep bringing more cats onto the ship. We don't have the space."

"I told you I didn't bring him on," Ace insists. "He came aboard on his own! He probably wants to be a pirate too!"

"We still don't have room for more cats, Ace. We need to draw the line somewhere, and we already have  _ twelve _ on the ship!"

"C'mon, Deu!" Ace pleads. "I can't just refuse someone who wants to join us, and what's the big deal with having one more cat anyway?"

Oh no. Not those eyes again. Stay strong, Deuce thinks to himself, already feeling his resolve weakening at the look on Ace's face. Why is his heart beating faster again anyway? "I-" he starts to say something, only to lose his train of thought, as he looks into Ace's eyes.

"Just look at him," Ace says, still looking at him like that while petting said cat. "He's already so happy here! How can we send him away?"

"Fine," says Deuce, as he loses the last of his willpower to resist. Ace  _ is _ the captain after all anyway. Even if he takes their opinions into account for some things, he still does what he wants in the end. If he really wants to keep the cat, they're keeping the cat. "There's no way we're calling the cat  _ Meat _ though."

"Huh?" Ace looks baffled. "But I told you already, he likes it!"

Deuce sighs again, "He's a cat, he doesn't know any better. You're a person, so you should. Pick an actual name for him at least."

"Skull got to name one Skull Jr last time though!" Ace retorts.

"That's-" Deuce starts and then stops, because Ace has a little bit of a point there. 

Skull had been very insistent that the one black and white cat must be named after him, because the pattern on its face looked like a skull. None of the rest of them really saw it though, unless you squint and tilt your head, and then it sorta looked almost kinda skull-like. Maybe. Not nearly enough for that name to make sense though. "That's still different, Ace. Skull goes by that as a name, so it is an actual name, and he named the cat after himself."

"That's no good either though! He didn't even give the cat their own name! He's making them share his!" Ace exclaims, indignant the way only he could be when speaking of cats and names. "Besides, if I call this one Meat, that  _ makes _ it a name, because it'll be  _ his _ name!"

Ace logic at its finest, Deuce muses to himself, more fond than he probably should be. He clearly isn't going to win the fight this time around though. Not when Ace has already started calling the cat by that ridiculous name. They barely talked him out of it last time, while coming up with names for the others. 

The only reason they'd probably even won then, was because Ace had argued over Skull Jr's name at that time too. The rest of them had named the other cats while he was distracted, yelling back and forth with Skull, their argument going in circles.

"So, Meat then?"

Ace's face breaks into a bright smile that makes Deuce's heart stop for a moment. "It's the perfect name, isn't it?"

"Right, perfect." He says, a little out of breath, despite not doing anything to exert himself right now. He should probably be concerned about this, but for some reason he just can't bring himself to care while seeing Ace so happy.

Ace then starts getting up, shifting to cradle Meat in his arms. "I'm gonna take him to go meet some of the others now! Then I think it's about time we get started with some training!" He says, while walking off to find the other cats, who were probably below deck begging for food in the kitchen since they weren't napping with Ace.

Ordinarily Deuce would think the animals would object to the sudden introduction of an outsider, but seeing as this is Ace, it'll probably go perfectly fine. Cats always seem more willing to go along with whatever it is he wants for whatever reason, even though they're usually the most contrary creatures in the world with everyone else. 

Wait a minute, he thinks, as Ace's words from before suddenly register in his mind. Did he say training? What did he mean by training?  _ And what does it have to do with the cats? _ "Ace, wait up! What sort of training are you talking about?" He hurries after the other man, desperate to find out what sort of chaos he's going to cause this time.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading my fic! Kudos or comments would be wonderful, but don't feel pressured! If you'd like to talk to me or see what I'm up to, you can find me here at [my tumblr](https://arielxlazarus.tumblr.com/) or if you're 18 or over feel free to join my nsfw 18+ discord server called [pirate shenanigans](https://discord.gg/4ZYeYaX). We're just a nice and friendly (and thirsty af) community of adults who love one piece, especially Ace and all of the Spade and Whitebeard pirates!


End file.
